The present disclosure is generally directed to integrated circuits and, more specifically, to techniques for integrating thermal via structures in integrated circuits.
Switching transistors in an active portion of an integrated circuit (IC) generate a significant amount of heat. A portion of the generated heat is transferred to a substrate of the IC which, like the active portion of the IC, heats up. Thermal vias (e.g., through-silicon vias (TSVs)) can be used to transfer heat from an active portion of an IC to a heat sink through a substrate of the IC at a relatively fast rate. However, thermal TSVs may occupy a relatively significant amount of surface area on an active side of an IC and, as such, may not be particularly efficient from a real estate utilization perspective. The lack of efficient real estate utilization is primarily attributable to aspect ratio (width-to-height) requirements of TSVs.